Saturday, November 21, 2009

Puerto Rico Para Tod@s and Jorge Steven López's family have announced the murdered gay teenager's funeral will begin tomorrow in Toa Alta.

In addition, the LGBT advocacy organization has announced it plans to hold a vigil against hate crimes in San Juan on Wednesday, Nov. 25. A march will begin at 6 p.m. in front of the Department of Justice, and it will end at Parque Luis Muñoz Rivera.

Local authorities have yet to decide whether to charge Juan A. Martinez Matos under the territory's hate crimes statute. The 26-year-old has confessed to investigators and local media he killed López after he discovered he was actually a man after he said he solicited him for sex on a Caguas street. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has maintained it could bring federal hate crimes charges against Matos if Puerto Rican authorities fail to do so.

Meanwhile, Pedro Julio Serrano posted to his Facebook page pictures of his meeting with López's parents, Miriam Mercado and Jorge López, Sr., earlier today. Primera Hora also posted two videos of tributes that took place at Krash in Santurce.